Graduates Forced to Join Millions of Uninsured Americans
By: States: Texas | Source: AARP.org
Across the state, Texas college and university graduates might find themselves collecting more than just a diploma and a tassel. For many, graduation means an increase in debt, and a decrease in health insurance.
The cost of higher education is no insignificant financial burden. As students complete school and join the workforce, educational debt forces many to forgo the “luxury” of health insurance.
According to a 2006 report by the Project on Student Debt, roughly 56 percent of Texas graduates will face college loan payments.
“When college graduates enter the workforce with large education debt and no health care insurance, lifetime financial security is that much harder to achieve,” said Bob Jackson, AARP Texas State Director.
It comes as no surprise that young adults age 18-24 are the least likely to have health insurance. In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) revealed that about 30 percent of these young adults lack a place to go when they’re sick or need medical advice, and an equal percentage are uninsured.
These statistics are familiar to Lauren McPhail, a recent graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown. McPhail, who was dropped from her parents’ insurance plan when she turned 22, received only very basic health insurance coverage from Southwestern while a student.
“I got pretty sick this year and had to pay out of pocket for almost everything,” McPhail said. “Paying the doctor fees for minor visits—it adds up.”
As a graduate, McPhail will receive no coverage.
Joey Williams, who graduates this summer from the University of Texas at Austin, worries that he and his friends who aren’t immediately able to find a job with health care benefits will suffer catastrophic consequences.
“A lack of health insurance could ruin your life, literally. All it takes is one simple mishap,” Williams said. “You're in the hospital loaded with an overwhelming hospital bill. Those kinds of things will actually ruin you.”
It's time we ensure health and long-term financial security for all. That's why AARP led the effort to establish Divided We Fail, an initiative to give voice to millions of Americans who are tired of letting Washington gridlock stand in the way of affordable, quality health care and long-term financial security—the most pressing domestic issues facing our nation. Common sense solutions are needed, and everyone—individuals, businesses and government—has a role and a responsibility in ensuring health and financial security for all.
The nonpartisan, nonprofit, intergenerational campaign has gained the support of 80 diverse organizations, 294 members of Congress, and more than half a million American voters who have signed a pledge promising to only support political candidates who offer action and answers on matters concerning health care and financial security. AARP believes that bipartisan cooperation is the key to ensuring access to affordable healthcare and financial security for every American.
Find more information about Divided We Fail online at http://www.dividedwefail.org.
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